For Those Who Fail
by Joaquin Miller
"All honor to him who shall win the prize,"
The world has cried for a thousand years;
But to him who tries and who fails and dies,
I give great honor and glory and tears.
The world has cried for a thousand years;
But to him who tries and who fails and dies,
I give great honor and glory and tears.
O great is the hero who wins a name,
But greater many and many a time,
Some pale-faced fellow who dies in shame,
And lets God finish the thought sublime.
But greater many and many a time,
Some pale-faced fellow who dies in shame,
And lets God finish the thought sublime.
And great is the man with a sword undrawn,
And good is the man who refrains from wine;
But the man who fails and yet fights on,
Lo! he is the twin-born brother of mine!
And good is the man who refrains from wine;
But the man who fails and yet fights on,
Lo! he is the twin-born brother of mine!
 |
| Photo: www.joaquinmiller.com |
Joaquin Miller (1841-1912) was known as The Poet of the Sierras among other things. In his very colorful life, he had several careers -- miner, lawyer, prospector, newspaper editor/publisher, judge -- before settling on that of a poet. Born Cincinnatus Hiner Miller (after the city of Cincinnati), he changed his name to Joaquin in 1870 after a poetess "convinced him he would never succeed as a poet with a name like Cincinnatus." Interesting that he chose to name himself after an infamous Mexican Bandit. Further Reading:
- Who was Joaquin Miller?
- Mt. Shasta Grizzly Legend (as told by Joaquin Miller)
- Classic Cowboy Poetry
- Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission: Joaquin Miller
* (Hey, I'm not kidding ... that's the name of their magazine, and they've been publishing under that name since 1999).
No comments:
Post a Comment